Welcome to the home of the backcountry skiing blog from Off-Piste Magazine. Here we post backcountry ski gear reviews, feature stories and avalanche safety advice, plus ski news, events and more.
DPS Skis – Shadow Campaign – Lonely Star DPS Cinematic is back with Volume VI of the Shadow Campaign ski film series. Skiers Santiago Guzman, Piers Solomon and Zack Giffin inspire winter adventures with their snow sliding skills from Mt Baker to Revelstoke. Here’s what DPS Skis has to say . . . An ill-fated explorer finds himself marooned on… Read More
Gifts for Skiers Need holiday gifts for skiers on your Christmas list? Short of setting them up with a hut trip or new powder skis, we’ve put together a few of our favorite gifts for skiers to help seed your holiday shopping with fresh ideas – all for under $100. Leatherman Skeletool Multi-Tool $60 Never let your favorite skier head… Read More
Candide Thovex Skis the Great Wall of China Candide Thovex skis the Great Wall of China without Snow Candide Thovex never ceases to amaze. I think he’s actually pushing the climate change thing a bit by skiing on everything but snow while we still have snow to ski on, but maybe he’s just securing his future for a world without… Read More
The Man Behind the Maps – Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues Ski resorts and trail maps are synonymous. What skier hasn’t poured over a resort map taking in the detail in search of the best terrain and the right runs or simply to decide which way to go. You might have guessed that ski resort trail maps are digitally rendered… Read More
Layering for Backcountry Skiing – Baselayers and Midlayers Dressing for a full day of backcountry skiing requires a balance of breathability and weather protection. And the only way to really achieve the balance is through layering. It’s not rocket science, but it is easy to overdress for ski touring. It’s an aerobic activity, and you need to be prepared to… Read More
Abandoned – A Film about Lost Ski Areas Abandoned is about a crew of backcountry skiers who set out to explore Colorado’s lost ski areas in hopes to find adventure amongst the ruins. Instead, they discover the truth behind what made these areas close their doors for good and illustrates what skiing used to be like before mega resorts and… Read More
Outdoor Research San Juan Jacket When is the last time you skied in the rain? Hopefully, it’s been long enough that you can’t recall. I ask because many skiers are too concerned with full waterproof protection when choosing a jacket for backcountry skiing. The reality is that the number of days we spend ski touring in truly wet conditions is limited…. Read More
Ski Mountaineering Harnesses As a skier first and a mountaineer second, it’s not that often I use a harness while ski touring. But when the going gets technical or crevassed, you don’t want to be left wishing you had a harness with you. Here are two great ski mountaineering harnesses that give you no excuse to leave them at home…. Read More
It’s never too early to inspire your spring and summer volcano ski objectives. The DPS film crew travelled to Chile in search of mountain culture and skiing to brings us WALLMAPU. The Pehuenche people of present-day Chile speak Mapudungun: ‘the language of the land.’ This land, their universe, is known as Wallmapu. Two skiers enter into a breathtaking creation of… Read More
Ski Waxing for the Backcountry Backcountry skiing is a far cry from ski racing, but freshly waxed skis are still important to keep you sliding and slashing through the pow with ease. And the good news is that ski waxing for the backcountry is not rocket science. In fact, it’s down right simple. You just need a few basic tools… Read More
G3 Alpinist+ Climbing Skins – Glide Model I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; climbing skins are one of the most underrated pieces of gear we use. Yet without skins, we can’t do what we do, climb up to ski down. Having used nearly every type of skin available over the years, I have a strong preference for skins… Read More
Ski Waxing and Tuning Bench If you want to spend anytime doing your own ski maintenance, a solid ski waxing and tuning bench is important. Between keeping my skis ready to roll, setting up test gear and working on friends’ gear, my ski bench sees use multiple times per week. Ski widths exceeded the width of my traditional ski vices years ago, and… Read More
Eco-Wax Ski Wax Last year we reviewed a product called SnowShed, a silicone-based spray for ski top sheets that helps reduce snow build-up while touring. The spray is environmentally friendly, sourced in the USA and it works to help keep your top sheets free of snow. This season, the company, now called mountainFLOW eco-wax, has expanded their line to include two… Read More
Avalanche Transceiver – Chest Harness or Pants Pocket Standard protocol for wearing an avalanche transceiver has long been strapped to your chest in it’s harness. In the last handful of years, more and more skiers are moving to storing their beacons in a pant pocket. Using a pant pocket makes for convenient access when doing morning transceiver checks, can help… Read More
DPS Shadow Campaign – Ski Photographer DPS Skis presents the latest in their ski film series – Ski Photographer Drawn to the mountains in search of the ski bum lifestyle, Oskar Enander had no intention of ever becoming a ski photographer. Today, Oskar’s iconic and unique perspective is highly sought after in the ski world. And yet, he shoots very… Read More
